Changes
by Laugh-a-Lot Bear
Summary: Dealing with the aftermath of season 2, an unexpected relationship has developed between Seth and Marissa. Sorry, I'm bad at summaries!.A Roadie story. Chapter 12 added. Please r&r.
1. The Conversation

12.30. Lunchtime.

And like every lunchtime, Seth walked towards the farthest corner of the playing field to eat his lunch. But something was different. There was already someone occupying his spot.

"What's wrong?" Seth said, approaching the crying girl slowly.

"Nothing" she sobbed. "Leave me alone geek."

"Fine. Sorry I asked."

As Seth started walking away, she called out to him. "Wait".

He turned around to face her. "I didn't mean to be a bitch. It's just….. If Luke saw you talking to me, he'd kick your ass."

"It's ok." He replied. "He'll be doing that later anyway."

The girl giggled. Seth moved closer and sat down next to her.

"So, you wanna tell me why you're crying?"

The girl turned her face away as she answered. "I hate my life."

Seth was shocked by her reply. "But why? What could possibly be so awful? I mean, we're only eleven."

"You wouldn't understand." She said at a whisper.

"Try me." He said, nudging her softly.

The girl remained silent. Seth realised it would take some convincing to get her to open up.

"Look, you think I wouldn't understand but I might. I have no friends both in and out of school, my parents want to send me away to boarding school and I get beaten up almost everyday. I'm not loving my life to much at the moment either."

The girl moved her hand up to her face and wiped away the tears. She turned towards Seth and looked directly into his eyes.

"It's just.. I can't do anything I want. My life is controlled by everyone but me. And it sucks."

"I bet it does. But listen, at least you're not on your own. You've got Summer, and Luke."

"I guess."

"And listen, at the risk of sounding like the girl I'm called, if you ever want to talk to someone else, I'll be here. Totally bruised and battered, but anyways."

For the first time, the girl smiled genuinely at Seth. "Thanks."

"No problem. But don't tell anyone, ok? I don't want my reputation spoiled."

"I'll try to remember that." She said through a small laugh. She slowly stood up and started to walk away. She looked back over her shoulder at the boy who was there for her. "Bye Seth."

"Bye Marissa"


	2. A Visitor

Six Years Later

The last couple of years had been unbelievably chaotic for Marissa. Her parents divorced, she caught her first boyfriend cheating, she took an overdose in Tijuana, she befriended a psychotic cocaine addict, her boyfriend left to have a baby with an ex-girlfriend, she had a lesbian affair, was almost raped and now, she had shot someone. Things were not how they used to be.

She had had one godsend though, through all the bad times; the unexpected friendship that had developed into what was now 'The Fantastic Four'. Summer Roberts- the only friend still there for her from her original clique, Ryan Atwood- the boy from Chino that had been the catalyst for all the changes, and Seth Cohen- the geek with no friends, a guy who never even entered her radar before Ryan came to town. Marissa had come to know these four as her family, the only people in the whole world she could rely on. But things were changing again.

Marissa had shot Trey, the delinquent brother of Ryan, who appearance in town caused her nothing but grief. When Marissa walked in finding him killing one of her best friends, she panicked. She didn't have enough brute strength to pull him off of Ryan and she couldn't call for help. When she noticed the gun, Marissa realised it was the only thing that would stop Trey, so she used it. Little did she know that it would almost kill Trey, but it would slowly kill her relationship with Ryan.

Marissa had spent that whole summer trying to reconcile what she thought was the love of her life but to no effect. Ryan loved Marissa, but the events that had unfolded were too immense to forget. All that remained for those two was a friendship.

Marissa was lying on her bed, headphones in her ears and Share Bear in her arms, when there was a knock at the door.

"Come in." she called out.

To her surprised, it was Seth, on his own.

"Hey" she said, happy to see a friendly face.

"Hey Marissa. I thought you might be lonely so I brought you some company."

From behind his back he pulled out another familiar face.

"Captain Oats!"

"Yep" Seth said, noticing the huge smile spread across her face. "We were both up to no good back at my house and thought we would come and see how you were doing."

Marissa was taken back by Seth's sincerity.

"I'm fine."

"Really?"

"Well, as fine as I can be."

There was a few seconds of silence as the two shared each other's company.

"So you wanna sit down?" Marissa asked.

Seth smiled and made his way towards her bed. "So I was thinking we could do something today. Anything you want."

Summer had gone east to see her mom and the Cohen's had paid for Ryan to take some time away.

"Well, we could go to Six Flags." She offered.

"My stomach's too Jewish for most of the rides. How about we go bowling?"

Marissa was shocked by the offer of bowling as she had always thought of it as a date thing to do but she was willing to do anything to get out of her house.

"Sure, why not?"

Seth smiled at her. "Great. Oh, I feel I must warn you though, it's the only 'sport' that I can actually play. So I'll probably kick your ass."

Marissa let out a small laugh. "Fighting talk, huh. Well then I must warn you that I'm not as weak as I look."

"Oh, really." Seth leaned towards Marissa and gave her a small nudge.

"Yeah." Marissa got up and walked towards the door, followed by Seth. "Do you wanna drive or shall I? Then you can see how it's really done."

Seth pushed her in the back. "Oh my god Marissa, I never knew you were so competitive."

"Well, by tonight, you'll wish you never found out."


	3. The Driveway

Hi. Sorry that I've been updating really slowly but I recently started a new job and it's kept me busy.

So thanks to marianne-larsen, sarklover826, BeAuTiFuL MaDnEsS, Lennie 1984, goingtoazbaby 1804 and LivingintheOCsucks for your reviews. Also, I know my chapters are short but I'll try and make them longer. (After this one!)

It was almost eleven o'clock when Seth and Marissa pulled into the driveway of the Cooper-Nichol mansion, after their game of bowling turned into best out of three, followed by the loser buying diner afterwards.

"Are you sure you don't want a ride home? It's pretty far, and dark. Please let me drive you." Marissa pleaded.

"It's ok, really." Seth replied. "I mean, even though I've been blessed with this _incredible_ body, what's the worst that can happen?"

"Alright. Your prerogative "

As both stepped out of the car, a light can on in the front hallway.

"My mom's probably gonna flip out at me. I didn't realise how late it is." Marissa said looking at her watch.

"Well, tell her your were out all night with a mysterious man. That ought to shut her up."

Marissa laughed. "Thanks Seth. I'll keep that in mind. Oh, and thank you for today. I really needed this."

Seth smiled sweetly at her. "Yeah, my pleasure. I had fun."

"Me too." Marissa agreed.

The two stood there, for a moment, taking in the significance of the day.

"Well, if you wanna do it again sometime, you know where to find me." "Thanks. I will." Marissa leaned in for a hug which Seth embraced. It was broken by the opening of the front door, and the unmistakable, menacing figure of Julie Cooper-Nichol.

"Hey, grandma!" Seth said with a goofy wave. Marissa let a huge laugh, which had been almost absent from Newport Beach in the recent months. Julie shot Seth a death stare that would even scare Darth Vader. "I guess that's my cue to leave."

"Ok."

" But remember what I said, ok. Anytime, any place I'll be there. As long as it not bowling." For the second time today, sincerity creeped into Seth's voice.

"Bye Seth."

Her turned round and made his way home. "Bye."

She watched as he walked down the driveway, his figure becoming more and more vague. Today had been the first time in forever where Marissa was able to forget the recent happenings and just have fun. And she had an unexpected source to thank for that. A boy, who not even two years ago she would have acknowledged, was now the one person, she now felt a strange connection too.

"Marissa, aren't you coming in?" Julie called out in impatience.

"No mom, I thought I might just stand out here and freeze to death." Marissa sarcastically replied as she marched into the house past her mother.


	4. Comfortable Silence

_Hey Everyone! I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update and that I never kept to my word (something unexpected happened, that I won't bore y'all with!) but here's the new chapter. I hope you like it! Again, all reviews, positive and negative welcome._

Chapter 4

A few weeks had past and it had been the perfect two weeks for Marissa. She kept to her word and called Seth the next day. After that, they were almost always together. They had become a recent fixture at the diner on the pier, where they could be found discussing the film they had just seen or the album they had both bought.

"Oh my gosh, the new Death Cab is amazing!" Seth said excitedly, digging into his Balboa burger special.

"I know!" Marissa agreed, taking a slurp from her chocolate milkshake. "I'm so glad you convinced me to buy it."

Seth gave Marissa a huge smile. "Well, I'm normally right. You should know that by now!"

Marissa giggled and threw a fry at Seth, which hit him on his left eye.

"Ouch!" exclaimed Seth, feigning extreme pain and falling onto the table.

This made Marissa laugh outright, making the surrounding tables stare at the commotion. "That so did not hurt! It's a fry for crying out loud!"

Seth sat back up and looked toward Marissa. "Well, it a recurring injury. It's not the first time I've have my eyes scratched by a girl."

"Oh yeah?" Marissa replied.

"Yeah. Do you remember after the SnoC last year, Zach punched me?"

"Zach's not a girl."

"Really!" Seth said sarcastically "Well anyways, Alex tried to teach me self-defence but instead just attacked me herself. She ended up scratching my cornea"

"Poor Seth!" Marissa said mockingly. "How awful that must've been for you!"

"It was. I'm scarred for life. But she did do the decent thing and kiss it better so I forgave her."

There was a small pause and then Marissa, in the moment, leaned forward and kissed Seth's eyelid. "Do you forgive me?"

Seth was slightly shocked by her gesture and replied slowly. "Yeah… Marissa. Totally forgiven."

Marissa noticed the dithering in Seth's voice, and realised what she had just done. Slightly embarrassed by her action, she quickly changed the subject of their conversation. "They're showing 'The March of the Penguins' at the IMAX again tonight. I thought we could see it."

"Yeah, that'd be cool. What time are they showing it?"

Marissa's face squinted as she tried to remember. "I think it said 7.30."

Seth looked at his watch. "You wanna come back to mine first? We've got about four hours to kill before then and there's a programme about The Clash on VH1."

Marissa turned around and motioned to the waitress. "I'll get the check."

---------------------------------------------------------

The first port of call once back at the Cohens McMansion was Seth's bedroom. He had told Marissa on the drive back that he had just got the new Franz Ferdinand album and she wanted to hear what it sounded like. Seth sat down by his computer and turned it on.

"If you want, I can burn this for you." He suggested.

"Thanks."

Marissa sat his bed and gazed around his room, which had become a familiar surrounding to her. She saw Captain Oats on his nightstand and smiled. She leant over and picked him up. "Hey Oats!"

Seth turned around to look at her. "Did you know that he's the most excited when he see you? He never shuts up talking about you."

"That's funny," Marissa started, "coz Share Bear says the exact same thing about you."

"Does she now? I always felt that she had a thing for me."

Marissa and Seth both smiled and held their gaze with each other. There was a comfortable silence between them, something that was a new experience to both. Their moment was broken by the sound of Seth's computer's device connection sound coming on. They both looked towards the screen where a huge picture of Seth and Marissa appeared.

"Oh my god! I can't believe you have that picture as you screensaver! I look awful in it!"

Seth snorted. "Yeah right. You always look gorgeous in every single picture I've ever seen of you. Me, on the other hand, am not the most photogenic person."

"Well, that's true." She teased.

"Hey!" he said getting up and moving towards her. "Take that back."

"Or what?"

"Or…." Seth hesitated. "Or I'll tickle you." Seth dived onto the bed and proceeded to tickle Marissa. Marissa burst into uncontrollable laughter. "Seth, no! Please! Please! You know I can't take it. Please Seth! Ok, ok, I'll take it back!"

"You mean it?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Ok. Apology accepted."

Marissa breathed out deeply then sighed as both sat side by side on the bed.

"I don't think I laughed this much since I was a little girl." She declared. "Thanks Seth."

Marissa, exhausted from the tickle attack, rested her head on his shoulder. Seth didn't flinched and just allowed the moment to happen. "Yeah, well, no problem."


	5. A Call In The Dark

Hey everyone! How are you? I'm so sorry that I have not updated in so long, I've been really busy. I hope you'll forgive me! Ok, so here's chapter 5.

It was the middle of the night and Marissa was having trouble sleeping. She turned to her side and looked at her clock. '3:23'. She had no idea what was keeping her up and had tried everything to try to fall asleep. It was no good.

At that moment, she heard the quiet beeping of her cell phone. Surprised, she reached over and pulled her cell from the drawer in her nightstand. She flipped it open and saw '1 new voice message received'. Marissa decided to listen to it.

'_Hey Marissa, You probably won't get this message till the morning but I couldn't sleep. I was thinking if you weren't doing anything later, or tomorrow, or, you know what I mean, that we could drive to LA. The Killers are doing set in The Viper Room and I'm sure my good looks and charm can get us in. So what do you think? Stupid idea, huh. Well, call me when you get this, or a few hours after you get this, and we can talk. Ok, Bye………….Oh by the way, It's Seth.'_

Marissa got up from her bed and switched on her light. She couldn't believe that Seth would be calling her at this time and that he too would still be up. She sat down on her bed and dialled Seth's number.

"Hello?" Seth said, his voice quiet.

"Hey Seth, it's Marissa."

"Hey Marissa. What's going on?" he asked.

"Well I've been staring at my ceiling for the past three hours and I got you message so I thought I'd phone you back." She replied.

"Well," Seth started, "I'm glad I didn't wake you. I don't know what I was thinking calling you in the middle of the night."

"Seth, it's ok." She assured him. "I'm glad you called."

There was a long pause from both, neither not knowing what to say next.

"Oh, by the way," Marissa began "I love your idea about going to LA. I've wanted an excuse to leave Newport, if only for a few hours."

"Me too." Seth agreed "Plus, you know, The Killers are awesome and I thought it'd be fun, you know, for us."

A long silence followed as both pondered the significance of his use of "us".

"Yeah, it will." Marissa agreed. "Also, I figured that since I have my own car, I'll drive. Then we can come back whenever we like."

Seth felt a smile draw across his face. "I like your way of thinking, Miss Cooper. Although…" Seth took another long pause.

"Although what?" Marissa enquired.

"You drive like a maniac."

"No I don't!" Marissa yelled, forgetting that it was 3.30 in the morning.

Seth let out a laugh. "Ssh! Don't wake your mom. The darkness is already scary without having to see your mother's face!"

"I want you to take back what you said about my driving!" Marissa yelled again, not heeding Seth's advice.

"No!" Seth reply through his laugh.

"I'll keep yelling if you don't!" Marissa argued.

"I don't care if you keep yelling," Seth voice still at a quite volume "I'm not the one that will have to deal with the consequences."

Marissa giggled. "What consequences? I'm not scared of my mom."

"Good for you. But I'm always gonna be scared of you driving!"

"So your not gonna retract your statement then?" Marissa asked.

"Nope." Seth replied sternly.

"Well then," Marissa said "Maybe I should go to LA alone and leave you here to be all by yourself, with no one to talk too…… except me who will be calling you from the concert."

Seth, surprised by the conviction in Marissa voice as she said what she said, decided to give in.

"Ok, ok. You are an amazing driver and it will be a privilege getting in the car with you."

Marissa noted the sarcasm in his voice but let it slip. "Alright. Apology accepted. See, that wasn't so hard, was it."

All of a sudden, there was a knock at Marissa's door. Startled, she let out a little scream.

"Marissa? What's wrong?" Seth's voice was full of concern.

Marissa took her time to regain her composure, then answered Seth's question. "I'm alright Seth. My mom just knocked on my door. Gave me a fright. That's all."

"I told you, didn't I?" Seth remarked. "You are scarred of you Mom!"

Marissa replied quickly "No I'm not. I'm scarred of the loud noise she made with her fist on my door!"

There was silence as Marissa contemplated opening the door as she heard her mom called from outside her room. "Listen Seth, I should go. But I'll come and pick you up at about ten and we can make a day of it."

"Ok, cool. I'll hopefully see you then. If your mom hasn't killed you."

"Goodnight Seth."

"Alright, see ya."

Marissa got up from her bed and opened her door. "What?" she said, feigning tiredness. "What's wrong?"

Julie was not impressed. "Oh no, Marissa. Don't do that. You know what's wrong. You were talking to Summer on your cell at three in the morning."

"No I wasn't" Marissa defended.

"Yes you were!" Julie raised her voice.

In turn Marissa got louder also. "No I wasn't! It was Seth actually."

Julie was taken aback by the simple revelation of Seth's name. "Seth?"

"Yeah. And?" Marissa answered back.

Julie's face was still filled with shock. "You two are getting awfully friendly. Is there something you're not telling me?"

Marissa was confused by Julie implication. "What do you mean?"

"You're seeing him aren't you?" Julie inquired.

"Well, duh."

Julie let out a small huff. "Well, I would never have guess that you would date **_that_** boy. He's so….."

Marissa realised that she had herself implied that they were dating. "Oh mom, no. We're not dating. He's just my friend."

"But you just said that you were seeing him."

"Yeah, we hang out everyday, but I'm not seeing him seeing him."

"Don't give me that. I've seen the way you two act around each other. You have feelings for him."

Marissa was at a loss for words. Yes, she had feelings for Seth but what kind of feelings? She didn't know what to tell her mom.

"Mom, leave me alone. I'm tired and I'm getting up early tomorrow."

"Going somewhere?" Julie asked.

"None of your business." Marissa said harshly. "I'm going back to bed."

With that, Marissa shut the door in Julie's face. Her mom had hit on something Marissa was unprepared for. She had feelings for Seth.


	6. Mr Brightside

_Hey Everyone, I hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Thanks to __goingtoazbaby1804__ and __DeuCe628__ for reviewing the last chapter. Here's chapter 6._

When the next morning came, a feeling of both trepidation and excitement had built up inside of Marissa. When her mom questioned her feeling towards Seth, she was unprepared. She had not thought about what kind of feelings she had starting to feel, whether they were just friend feelings, or what she had not anticipated, feelings of the romantic kind. As she got herself ready for the day, she tried to block out any thoughts that would alter her behaviour around Seth. She did not want this day to become awkward, it would be a day of fun and freedom.

When Marissa was ready she looked at her watch. It was close to ten so Marissa made her way out of her house. As she reached her car she heard the shrill sound of her Mom calling her name.

"Marissa, sweetie. "Julie called out. "You're going to Cohens, right?"

"Yeah, and?" Marissa said with a hint of defence in her voice, afraid that her mom would barrage her with questions about Seth.

"Well, Kirsten and I need to talk so could I come with you?" Julie said, a pleading look spread across her face.

Marissa was hesitant but she wasn't going to get into an argument. "Fine."

The ride over to the Cohen's was silent as neither knew what to say. When they got to the front door, Julie remained silent. Marissa was wary of her mother's behaviour as she had always had something to say.

"You wanna ring the doorbell or should I?" Marissa said, a trace of sarcasm lining her voice.

Julie just shrugged so Marissa leaned across and rung the doorbell. There was no answer. Marissa hit the bell again, and still no answer.

'Has Seth forgotten?' Marissa thought to herself. Afraid that he had, she pounded the door. This time, to effect. The front door flew open, and to Marissa and Julie's surprise, Seth stood before them in only a towel from the waist down, his hair dripping wet.

"Sorry Marissa, I was in the shower." Seth apologised, not even noticing Julie standing to her daughter's left.

This time it was Marissa who stayed silent, as she took in Seth in his present form, half naked. His body, slim but toned.

"We noticed." Julie answered back.

"Wow, Mrs Cooper, I never saw you there." Seth's voice was full of shock, and tried to position himself in a less revealing way.

Marissa finally spoke up. "She's her to see your mom."

Seth looked at Julie. "Well, you can't see her."

Julie shot Seth a confused look. "What do you mean?"

"She left early this morning to do some shopping."

"Oh." Was all Julie replied.

Marissa looked between Seth and her mom.

"Well, mom, you heard what Seth said so you can go now."

Julie looked at her daughter. "Alright, I get the hint."

An embarrassed look spread across Marissa's face whilst a confused one spread across Seth's. 'What hint?' Seth thought to himself.

As Julie turn around to leave, she leaned in towards her daughter and whispered in her ear. "I can see why you like him. Have fun with him today."

Marissa's face turned a light shade of pink.

"Bye Seth, it was nice to see almost all of you." Julie giggled as she walked down the Cohen's driveway.

"Bye." Was all Seth could summon. He turned his attention back to Marissa who was no leaning on the doorframe. "So you wanna come in?" Seth said, a smile spread across his face. "I know we were supposed to leave by this time but I slept through my alarm. Hope you're not mad at me?" He gave her one of his puppy-dog gazes, which instantly made her smile.

"Of course I forgive you. And yeah, your doorframe is comfortable and all but I'd rather come in."

As Marissa stepped into the familiar surrounding of the Cohens home, she noticed that something was out of place. "Uh, Seth. Where's your couch?"

Seth who had already started his way back up the stairs, turned round.

"That's why my mom's gone shopping. She had the sudden urge to get a new couch and had my dad take out the old one this morning. You can come and sit in my room instead if you like."

"Sure." Marissa headed for the stairs and followed Seth.

Seth immediately started to speak. "Oh, by the way. I'm sorry about answering the door like this. I didn't expect you mom to be with you…."

'I didn't expect your mom to be with you.' Marissa repeated in her head. 'What does that mean?'

"… but it sounded like someone ramming the door down the way you were pounding on my door. You've probably left imprints of you fist."

Marissa let out a small laugh, a sound that had become a firm favorite of Seth's. He loved being able to make her laugh, especially after everything they had been through, not just separately, but together. It was a symbol of hope for them, that no matter what would happen to either of them that they would still be able to laugh.

When they reached Seth's room, Marissa headed for the stereo. She peered through his album collection and found 'Hot Fuss'. She removed it from it's case and put it on.

"This should get us in the mood." She said, oblivious to how what she said could be interpreted.

"Cool." Seth said, heading for his wardrobe. "I'm just gonna grabs some clothes and change in the spare room. I think you've seen enough of my naked form today."

Marissa turned to face Seth who was right beside her now. She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath, as she felt the close proximity. She quickly realised that Seth was staring at her intensely.

"What?" She enquired.

"Nothing. It's just you look amazing."

Marissa was taken aback as she comprehended what he said.

"Thank you." She replied. For the second time in less than 15 minutes, she could feel herself blushing. Seth flashed her one of his trademark smiles, complete with dimples, as he turned walked out of the room. As he closed the door, Marissa felt the goosebumps on her arms appear. She sat down on his bed and took in a sharp intake of breath. With 'Mr Brightside' playing in the background, she pondered the significance of the last few moments, what they meant, and what would lie ahead for them that day. "Today's gonna be interesting." She though out loud as she let herself fall flat onto his bed.


	7. What Did I Tell You?

Hi everyone. Hope you enjoyed the last chapter. Here's chapter 7.

When Julie got to the end of the Cohen driveway, she saw Kirsten's Jeep coming up the road. The car pulled up beside her.

"Hi Julie." Kirsten said as she put down her window.

"Hey Kirsten." Julie said with a small wave. "I was hoping I would see you. There's something I wanna talk to you about."

Kirsten smiled. "Ok. I'll make us some coffee."

Julie quickly replied with a small grin and wide eyes. "Perfect."

Julie got into the car, even though she only had a 3 minute walk back to the Cohen's. As they pulled up into the driveway, Kirsten gave Julie the opening she was looking for.

"Is that Marissa's car?" She asked.

"Yep. She and Seth are going somewhere together today. She wouldn't tell me where."

There was a short pause before Julie spoke again. "They've been together a lot recently, haven't they?"

Kirsten looked at Julie suspiciously, knowing where the conversation was headed.

"Oh, really?"

Julie looked at Kirsten with surprise. "You haven't noticed?"

"Not really." Kirsten replied, although she had noticed.

"Well," Julie started again "there is definitely something developing between them."

Kirsten grabbed her purse and got out the car, knowing that Julie would follow.

"Like what Julie?"

"Well, I know that when I was calling Jimmy at 3 in the morning it wasn't coz he was 'just my friend'."

Kirsten turned to face Julie, this time with a look of perplexity on her face.

"What? When did that happen?" she asked inquisitively.

"Back when Jimmy and I were dating he'd call…"

"No Julie." Kirsten interrupted. "I meant between Seth and Marissa?"

"Oh. Last night." Julie said nonchalantly, watching Kirsten's face for a reaction. "She was giggling so loudly that she woke me up. I mean Marissa never giggles anymore, but anyways. When I went to see what she was doing, I found her on her cell. I thought she was probably talking to Summer right, safe assumption I thought, but she told me it was Seth."

Kirsten was semi-shocked by what she had just been told. She took out her door-key and went into her home, heading for the kitchen. Trying not to show that she was taken aback by Julie revelation, she poured herself and Julie a cup of coffee.

"You know, Julie, that doesn't mean anything is developing between them. Apart from, maybe, a friendship." She said as she took a sip.

"Ok, you might be right. It's just that when I quizzed Marissa about it she got all defensive, like she didn't want me to know something."

Kirsten threw Julie another smile. "Yeah but that still doesn't mean anything. You and Marissa aren't exactly known for your close-knit relationship."

Julie gave Kirsten a fake smile, insulted by her last comment. But in the interest of her favourite hobby, gossip, she chose to ignore it.

"But that's not the only thing that's happened. This morning, Marissa gave me lift over here, coz I wanted to talk to you, and when we got here, Seth opened the door in just a towel. I think he thought it would only be her. He didn't even notice me till I said something. They were just staring at each other, smiling, like they were completely into one another."

Kirsten, although she had every intention not to, was beginning tobe convinced by Julie's evidence. Not wanting Julie to notice, she just stared into her coffee, but Julie could tell. A smile spread across her face; mission accomplished.

At that moment, they heard footsteps and giggling coming down the stairs. As both women went to see the objects of the conversation, they saw Marissa's arm inter-locked with Seth's. She was leaning against him, pushing him when he was something Seth-like. Kirsten stepped forward, out of the kitchen.

"Hey guys." She said with a huge smile.

Both took an intake of breath, startled by Kirsten's voice.

"Oh, hey Mom." Seth said first. "I didn't know you were home."

"Yeah, I just got back a couple of minutes ago."

"Hey Kirsten." Marissa said with a small wave.

"Hi Marissa." She said with a beam.

Julie appeared from behind Kirsten, causing both teens to look at each other.

"Hi Mom." Marissa said, with less enthusiasm than she had with Kirsten.

"Hey sweetie. I was just telling Kirsten about this morning."

Seth and Marissa's cheeks started to blush.

"Ok, Mom," Seth started, "Marissa and I were about to head out."

"Oh, really? Where are you going?" she said inquiringly.

"We're going to LA. The Killers are playing there tonight and we thought we'd catch the show."

Seeing an opportunity to get some information, Julie butted in.

"If they are playing tonight, why are you going so early?"

Marissa, knowing that her mom was trying to embarrass her, ignored her and answered the question straight at Kirsten. "We both agreed that getting away from Newport for the day would be good for us. I hope you don't mind, Kirsten?"

Kirsten had a genuine smile on her face. "Of course I don't sweetie. I think it's a good idea. Have fun."

Kirsten walked towards the paired and hugged them both. "Just call if you change your plans or if anything happens, ok?"

"Of course I will Mom." Seth said, starting towards the door, pulling Marissa with him. "Bye."

Marissa waved at them as she pulled the door shut. "Bye."

As Kirsten, once again, turned to face Julie, a huge grin was splashed across Julie's face.

"What did I tell you?"


	8. Driving Me

**Sorry it's taken a while to update. I've just been busy with Christmas and New Years. Hope y'all forgive me. So here's the new chapter. Hope you like it!**

Marissa and Seth were about half way to L.A. when they first spoke about what happened back at the house.

"So, your mom was acting weird back at my house." Seth said leaning forward to turn down the radio. "Weirder than normal I mean."

Marissa smiled and nodded. "I know what you mean. She kept looking at us all funny, like she was right about something."

"So I wasn't imagining it." Seth said, quickly turning to look at Marissa and then back again. "She looked kinda smug."

Marissa had a slight idea about the conversation her mom had probably had with Kirsten before they saw them. "I think I know why too."

A intrigued Seth questioned Marissa. "Oh really? Please tell more."

Marissa was unsure of what to say next. Her last comment was only really meant to be a thought but her brain voiced it. She couldn't tell Seth about what her mom was thinking about the two, but she couldn't let him have an uncomfortable conversation with his mom when they returned. She opted to tell him the truth.

"Well, ok I tell you but you can't let this affect us, ok?"

Seth was slightly concerned, thinking Marissa was about to slip a huge secret she was hiding. "OK." Was all he replied.

"My mom thinks that there's something going on between us."

Seth looked at Marissa not knowing what to say next. Luckily for him, she continued talking, trying to explain the situation.

"I think she doesn't understand the concept that two teenagers can be just friends when they are of the opposite sex. I mean, you're my best and only friend I've got right now but she thinks that you're more, well, you know."

Seth felt happy and disappointed at the same time. He felt the same way as she did, that she was his best friend but over the last few weeks they were moving into new territory. He didn't want to show his disappointment so he answered her quickly.

"She thinks I'm your boyfriend?"

"Yeah. That's so crazy, right?"

"Yeah. Where would she get an idea like that?" He said, under his breath, his voice monotonic, a small laugh following.

Marissa looked across at Seth, noticing the sound of his voice. She saw that his face had an expression she hadn't seen on him lately. Discontentment.

"Have I said something wrong?" Marissa asked cautiously.

Seth suddenly realised that she was looking at him and changed the expression on his face to a smile. "Of course not. I was just concentrating on the road. That's all."

They both sat in silence for a few moments, trying to rid the conservation of the awkwardness that had entered.

"So," Marissa started "Where should we head to first.?"

"I was thinking you should choose. I mean, you deserve to have fun today. I'll go wherever you want to go."

Marissa felt a small smile spread across her lips. "Really?"

"Yeah, and by the way, I'll pay for everything today. I've been saving up for a rainy day, and since a rainy day comes, well, hardly ever, I wanna spend it on something that I care about."

Marissa tucked an small strand of hair behind her ear, something she did when she was felt the good kind of embarrassment or nervousness.

"Seth, you really don't have to."

"I know I don't have to, but I want to." Seth took a small pause. "So, to repeat what you said earlier, where are we going to first?"

Marissa's stomach rumbled quietly giving her the first idea of where they should go. "I don't know about you but I haven't eaten yet and I'm starving. How about we eat?"

"You read my mind." He replied. "I was thinking pancakes. Maybe another stop on our tour of North America."


	9. The Cafe

**Thanks to _YellyBelly_ for reviewing, your comments were very much appreciated. Here's Chapter 9.**

Marissa and Seth pulled into the parking lot of a small café, the first one they saw as they entered L.A.

"Are you sure about this place?" Seth asked weary of Marissa hasty choice.

"If it sells pancakes and coffee, then it'll do." She said, rubbing her stomach.

Seth and Marissa got out of the car and headed towards the café.

"Okay," Seth added, nudging Marissa in the shoulder, "But if I die from food poisoning, I'm coming back to haunt you."

Marissa smiled "That's fine with me. You wouldn't be a very scary ghost."

Seth smiled as he held the door open for Marissa, his expression soon changing when he entered the café. "Ok, it's not too late to change your mind now that you've seen the inside of this place."

"It's antique-y, I know, but it doesn't matter coz they sell pancakes which is good enough for me."

A waitress walked towards the pair, making no attempt to smile. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah," Marissa answered "We'll both have the pancakes and a cup of coffee."

"Is that it?" the waitress said, with a sigh.

"Yeah thanks. We'll just be sitting over there." Marissa said, pointing to a booth by the window.

When they sat down at the table, Seth and Marissa both let out a small laugh.

"Wow, she loves her job, doesn't she?" Seth said, sarcasm lining his voice.

"I know. The warmth flowing from her was…overwhelming." Marissa said, the same tone apparent in her voice.

They both took a few moments to give the place a once-over.

"Look." Marissa said, pointing her finger towards an old fashioned jukebox, hidden in the corner.

"You wanna see what songs they have?" Seth enquired.

"Totally."

Seth and Marissa both got up and walked towards the jukebox. It was covered in dust and looked like it hadn't been touched in years. Seth grabbed a napkin from a nearby table and wiped the glass. As they looked through the selection of songs they noticed that it was filled with all 80's rock ballads.

"So what song takes your fancy?" Seth said, taking a quarter from his pocket.

Marissa stood silent for a minute deliberating over which song to choose.

"I'll think I go for 734." She said after a minute.

Seth fed the machine the quarter and entered the number. A few seconds later, Marissa's choice began playing quietly.

Seth gave Marissa a surprised look. "I never took you for a Bon Jovi fan." He said.

"I'm not" She replied. "Just this song. It's a classic."

"Alright. If you say so."

Once the opening chords finished and the verse started, Marissa softly began singing along.

"_Tommy used to work on the docks, unions been on strike, he's down on his luck it's tough." _

To Seth's surprise she started dancing, as though the music was taking over her body. Unlike Newport, Marissa seemed to have a freed confidence, as though L.A. gave her the release she needed. Amazing and awed by her ability to do not care about what she was doing, and where she was doing it, Seth slowly joined in.

"_She said we've gotta hold on to what we've got. It doesn't make a difference if we make it or not."_ Their volume was getting louder and louder, making the waitress turn toward the commotion. They looked at each other and just enjoyed the moment. _"We've got each other, and that's a lot for love, we'll give it a shot."_ As the chorus came, they were now both singing at the top of their voices. _"Oh-oh, we're half way there. Oh-oh living on a prayer. Take my hand and we'll make it I swear. Oh-oh living on a prayer."_

At the end of the chorus, they both stopped singing and laughed loud and hard, the laughter lasting the rest of the song.

It took a while before their laughter slowly subsided, and as it did, they retained eye contact. As the smiles that had occupied their faces for the last few minutes faded, a more intense look took over. The tension between them was unlike anything they had felt before. They moved closer and closer to each other, pushed by an unexplainable force. Seth reached out offering Marissa his hand, which to the pair's surprise, she accepted. As Seth pulled her closer, they both felt what was coming, and neither felt uncomfortable at the thought. It felt strangely right.

Their gaze was suddenly broken by the sound of a loud cough. It was the waitress with their order. Seth and Marissa slowly made their way to the table, their hands remaining intertwined and, for the remainder of the meal, sat in silence.


	10. The Wisdom of Waitresses

Chapter 10

It was almost 2pm when Seth and Marissa left the café, and it had been almost an hour without any conversation. Both were stuck for words following an undeniable moment that had occurred, a moment that was the climax of something that had subtly been growing for weeks. They just sat there, quietly pondering what to do next, all the time not losing eye or physical contact. It wasn't until the waitress commented on the pair that either of them spoke.

"I wish I had what you two have."

Seth and Marissa looked up to acknowledge her, to which she began to speak again.

"Being totally into someone else that you don't care what you do or what people think. It's nice." The waitress then flashed the pair a hopeful smile, the first they had seen from her in the time they had been there. She laid the check on the table, and returned to her station.

Marissa and Seth reconnected the gaze they had previously had, only this time with dialogue.

"Ok, so what is happening? I mean, between us." Seth enquired, his mind confused by the proceedings.

"I'm not quite sure." Marissa said, looking at her hands, trying to conceal that she knew exactly what was going on. She took in a deep breath before restarting, "It's just, Ryan and Summer both left just as it was getting tough and you stayed. And with us hanging out so much lately, you being so incredibly, unbelievably sweet and kind, you are so much more to me than just a friend, and well, I don't know…" Marissa stopped mid-sentence, unsure of what to say next. She looked up at Seth to see if she could gage any idea of how he was thinking, whether what she had just said was a bad or good thing. To her surprise, his face remained expressionless, which made her worry. "Seth, I'm sorry. I don't know what I was saying. I've messed this up now, haven't I?" She said, slowly getting up from the table, a tear gradually falling down her face.

"No, it's" Seth began to speak only to be cut off by Marissa who was making her way towards the door.

"No, don't say anything. I know what you're gonna say so I'll just be in the car. I'm sorry."

Seth just watched as she exited the café, the waitress also watching with fascination. He scrambled through his pockets, pulling out his wallet to pay for their meal. He counted out the money in a haste and left a handsome tip for the waitress who was just staring at him, waiting to see his next move. As Seth quickly paced towards the door, the waitress called out to him.

"Guys just don't get it, do you? All she wants you to do is kiss her."

Seth stopped in his tracks and turned to look at the waitress, whose words were the catalyst of reaction in his mind, as everything that had happened, all the little moments and all they had said to each other over the last few weeks had fallen into place.

He flashed the waitress a smile and turned back towards the door, his mind strangely clear. He walked, almost marched, over to his car and fiddle with his clothes and hair, sure of what his was going to do. He could see Marissa sat on the bonnet, her right hand rubbing the right side of her forehead.

"Marissa." He called out, making her jump.

"I'm so sorry Seth, I didn't mean to scare you. I know you just want to be friends, I've been so….."

It was Marissa who was this time cut off from her sentence, the soft pressure of Seth lips on hers silencing her. The embrace was short as Seth pulled back to gage her reaction. She stood still, not moving, keeping her eyes closed.

"Marissa?"

She slowly opened her eyes, as though she was just waking up, a smile creeping onto her face. Neither said anything, the moment not needing words. Her face alone confirmed the way she was feeling, and Seth, for once, knew what he had done was the right thing.


	11. The Conversation Pt 2

**_Thanks to YellyBelly and hjj48jc42 for your reviews. Here's chapter 11._**

"So, tonight was fun." Seth said as he and Marissa pulled into his driveway.

"Yeah it was." Marissa agreed. "The Killers were awesome." She took a small pause, to let a contented smile appear on her face. "And what happened today, that was awesome too."

Seth turned towards Marissa, the same smile apparent in his features. He slowly leaned across and lightly kissed her. When they pulled apart, they just gazed at each other. Both had been surprised by the direction their relationship had gone in, but it was a good surprise.

"Earlier, outside the diner," Marissa started, "when I was waiting for you to come out, I remembered something from years ago."

"Oh yeah? What was that?" his hand intertwining itself with hers.

"A conversation we had in the 5th Grade. I was crying because of my Mom and the way my life was and you came over and comforted me. I wasn't even that nice to you but it didn't matter. You told me that you'll always be there for me if I needed it."

Seth looked towards their hands and then at Marissa. "I can't believe you remember that."

"At the time I thought you were just being nice, coz I was a girl crying, but you weren't. You really meant it, didn't you?"

Seth once again looked at their hands, this time for longer, slightly embarrassed by what she was saying. Marissa moved closer to him, touching his face affectionately, making his face look up. She looked deep into his eyes, making sure he understood her sincerity and gratitude, before placing a soft kiss onto his lips.

"Do you want to come in? Maybe watch a movie, or something." he asked after the embrace, their noses still slightly touching.

"Ok," she replied quickly.

Seth got out of the car first, walking around to Marissa's side and opening her door. She got out, his hand already taking hold of hers, and made their way up to his house.

Once inside the house, Marissa made her way to the newly acquired couch in the Cohen family area and sat down. Seth went into the kitchen, and gathered an array of snacks for them to eat during the movie.

"So what movie do you want to watch?" he asked Marissa on his return, his arms filled with delicious snacks.

She got up and walked over to the DVD collection compiled next to the TV.

"This one is one of my favorites." She said, showing Seth her choice.

"When Harry Met Sally it is then." He said smiling.

"Cool." She lent down and placed the DVD in the player and walked over to where he was standing. She wrapped her arms around his waist and kissed him, more passionately than they had kissed before. His hand held her face as the kiss became gradually more intense. She opened her lips and let his tongue explore her mouth. They continued as they fell into the couch, crushing some of the chip packets that had been put their moments earlier.

The kiss consumed them so much that they were unaware of a light being switched on. There standing by the stairs was Sandy, watching in shock and amazement.

"Uh-um." He coughed loudly.

Seth and Marissa quickly pulled apart from each other, startled by the interruption.

"Oh, hey Dad." Seth said, embarrassment lining his voice as he quickly got to his feet.

"Seth. Marissa."

"Hey Sandy." Marissa said trying to fix her tasselled hair. She looked at her watch, using the time as an excuse to leave the awkwardness. "Oh, it's getting late. I should…."

"Oh yeah. I'll see you to the door." Seth said following Marissa who was already moving.

"I'll call you tomorrow." Marissa said before opening the door.

"Alright. Can't wait." Seth replied as he leant forward and kissed her sweetly on the cheek.

"Bye."

Once the door was shut, Seth turned round to see his father, whose eyebrows were so high up his forehead, they were almost detached from his face.

"So, I guessing today was…interesting." A smile covering his face.

Seth was unsure of how to reply. "Yep."

"So you and Marissa are…?"

This time Seth didn't reply, he just smiled and turned towards the staircase.

"Goodnight Dad."


	12. Morning Glory

**Thanks to _Danielle (YellyBelly)_ for reviewing my last chapter. Sorry it's taken so long to update, but I hope you like it. Nothing much happens in this chapter, it's a Seth/Kirsten interaction scene. **

The next morning Seth woke to an empty house.

"Hello?" He called out as he walked down the stairs. There was no reply. It was a rare occasion for the Cohen house to be empty but Seth was kinda relieved. He had woken up expecting the Spanish Inquisition knowing that after his father caught him with Marissa the night before that his mother would know all about it and want the details of his new relationship.

He made his way into the kitchen to prepare himself a somewhat large breakfast, ready for the long and strenuous examination he would later be subjected to by his parents. As he began cream-cheesing his bagel, he heard the jangle of keys at the front door.

"Hello?" Kirsten said cautiously, not knowing whether or not her son had yet woken.

"I'm in here mom." Seth replied as he took a deep breath.

"Morning honey, you slept in late." She said, a loving smile on her face.

Seth looked at the small clock attached to the oven. "Is it really that late? I didn't even realise the time."

"You must have been exhausted." Kirsten said, unpacking the groceries she had just bought. "Did you and Marissa have fun yesterday? How was the concert?"

Seth looked at her suspiciously, thinking that she would've gotten straight to last night.

"The concert was good. Thanks."

Kirsten walked over toward Seth, a box of cereal in her hand.

"Good" she said sincerely, "I'm glad you had fun."

A small silence followed as Seth eye's trailed his mother as she moved around the kitchen, waiting for her to ask about last night's events.

The moment was broken by the buzzing of Seth's cell. He looked down at the caller display, seeing 'Marissa Calling' flashing acrossthe screen.

"Hey!" he said, excited to hear from her.

"Hey Seth." she replied, her voice lined with delight. "How are you? How'd you handle your dad?"

Seth walked out of the kitchen, smiling toward his mom to let her know of his exit.

"Well, I didn't really say anything to him after you left, I kinda just went straight up to my room." Seth let out a small sigh. "Something weird did just happen now though. My dad more than likely told my mom what happened, but when I spoke to her, she acted like she didn't know."

"Well, maybe he didn't tell her." Marissa supposed, "Maybe he thought he was seeing or dreaming things."

"I wish." Seth retorted, "I think she's just waiting for me to tell her. But I wanted to see what you thought first, you know, before I did. I mean what should I tell her?"

"Don't tell her anything." Marissa replied. "I'll get dressed and then I'll come to yours. We can figure this out together."

A small smile spread across Seth's face. "I'm glad. I hoped you'd say that. What time were you thinking of coming round?"

Marissa looked down at her watch. "How about in about an hour?" she suggested "That gives you some time to at least look half presentable!"

"Hey! Below the belt!" Seth said with mock hurt.

"Your right, I'm sorry. It's gonna take _a lot _longer than that."

Seth's genuine laughter filled the Cohen house. "Well, if that's how you feel…."

"You know I was kidding." She defended. "Ok, so I'll see you then."

"Alright. Can't wait." Seth said earnestly. "Bye."

When Seth closed his phone, he turned around to see his mother staring at him, her face friendly.

"Who was that, honey?" she asked.

"Oh, um, that was Marissa." Seth replied, making his way to the stairs. "She's coming round later to hang out, so I'm just gonna go get ready."

"Ok sweetie." Kirsten smiled as she watched her son slowly jogged up the stairs and out of sight.


End file.
